Air Fryer Frozen Empanadas (Crispy in 12 Minutes)

Air Fryer Frozen Empanadas cook in 12 to 15 minutes at 375°F, straight from the freezer, with no thawing and no deep fryer. You get a shattering, blistered crust and a filling that’s hot all the way to the center — which is the part most methods get wrong.

If you’ve ever pulled an empanada out of the oven with a beautifully browned top and a lukewarm middle, the air fryer fixes that. Circulating air hits the frozen pastry from every side at once, so the crust and the filling finish at roughly the same moment instead of the outside racing ahead.

This works for store-bought empanadas from any brand, and it works just as well for homemade empanadas you’ve frozen yourself.

The Short Answer

• Temperature: 375°F (190°C)
• Time: 12–15 minutes
• Preheat: yes, 3 minutes
• Flip: once, at the 6-minute mark
• Done when: crust is deep golden and the filling reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer

Everything below is the detail that makes the difference between “fine” and “better than the restaurant.”

What Are Empanadas?

Empanadas are folded pastry turnovers that originated in Spain and are now a staple across Latin America and the Philippines. A round of dough gets filled, folded into a half-moon, crimped at the edge, and then baked or fried until the crust sets and browns.

Fillings run from seasoned ground beef to shredded chicken, cheese and onion, spinach, or sweetened fruit. That variety matters here, because a cheese-heavy empanada and a beef empanada don’t behave the same way in an air fryer — more on that below.

Ingredients

Two things, one of them optional.

• 6 frozen empanadas (about 4 oz each). Store-bought or homemade and frozen solid. Do not thaw.
• Oil spray (optional). A light mist of olive or avocado oil for extra crisp. Use a pump mister rather than an aerosol can.

Full printable directions, exact timing, and nutrition information are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to Cook Frozen Empanadas in the Air Fryer

Step 1: Preheat to 375°F for 3 minutes. Skipping the preheat is the most common reason empanadas come out pale and doughy. A cold basket lets the pastry warm slowly, which softens the fat in the dough before it has a chance to steam and puff.

Step 2: Arrange in a single layer. Leave at least half an inch between each one. They can’t be touching — where two empanadas meet, air can’t circulate, and you get a soft, pale seam on both.

Step 3: Mist lightly with oil (optional). A quick pass adds color and a slightly blistered surface. It isn’t required, and empanadas made with a butter or lard dough usually don’t need it at all.

Step 4: Air fry for 12 to 15 minutes. Start checking at 12. Smaller cocktail-size empanadas run closer to 8 minutes; thick, heavily filled ones can need the full 15.

5. Flip once at the 6-minute mark. Use tongs and turn them over rather than shaking the basket. Shaking bounces them against each other and cracks the crimped seam, which is exactly where filling escapes.

6. Check for doneness. The crust should be deep golden and firm, not tan and flexible. If you own an instant-read thermometer, slide it into the thickest part of the filling — you’re looking for 165°F.

7. Rest 3 minutes before serving. The filling comes out well above serving temperature, and three minutes on a rack lets it settle without softening the crust.

Air Fryer Frozen Empanada Cook Chart

Use this as a starting point and adjust to your own machine. Basket-style air fryers run hotter than oven-style models.

Empanada type	Temp	Time	Flip at
Standard beef or chicken (4 oz)	375°F	12–15 min	6 min
Cocktail / mini empanadas	375°F	8–10 min	4 min
Cheese-forward fillings	350°F	14–16 min	7 min
Sweet or fruit-filled	350°F	10–12 min	5 min
Cassava crust (Trader Joe’s)	350°F	10–12 min	5 min
Homemade, frozen raw	375°F	15–18 min	8 min
Air fryer oven / rack model	375°F	add 2–3 min	rotate trays

More timing charts like this one live in the Charts & Tips section.

Trader Joe’s Frozen Empanadas in the Air Fryer

Trader Joe’s empanadas need their own instructions, and this is the part almost nobody explains: several of them use a cassava crust rather than a traditional wheat pastry. Cassava browns faster and behaves differently under heat — it turns chewy rather than flaky, and at 375°F the outside darkens well before the filling is hot. Cook these at 350°F instead.

Trader Joe’s product	Crust	Temp	Time
Empanadas de Ropa Vieja	Cassava	350°F	10–12 min
Cheese Empanadas with Cassava Crust	Cassava	350°F	10–12 min
Chicken & Chimichurri Empanadas	Traditional pastry	375°F	12–15 min
Pumpkin Empanadas (seasonal)	Traditional pastry	350°F	10–12 min

• Empanadas de Ropa Vieja are filled with shredded beef in a tomato, onion, and pepper sauce, based on the Cuban dish. Trader Joe’s own package directions say about 10 minutes in the air fryer, and that holds up — just keep the temperature at 350°F. These come and go as a limited item, so buy extra boxes when you see them.
• Cheese Empanadas with Cassava Crust are filled with cheese, caramelized onions, and spinach, and they happen to be both gluten-free and vegetarian. Cheese fillings leak, and cassava seals less reliably than wheat pastry, so vent these and don’t skip the lower temperature. If you like this combination, my homemade spinach and cheese empanadas use the same flavor profile with a flakier crust.
• Chicken & Chimichurri Empanadas are the one TJ’s product with a traditional flaky pastry, so they follow the standard 375°F method. Dark chicken meat, vegetables, and chimichurri sauce inside. Serve with extra chimichurri.
• Pumpkin Empanadas turn up during Trader Joe’s fall pumpkin run and are firmly a dessert — pumpkin, coconut milk, and warm spices, closer to a handheld pie than anything savory. Sugar scorches, so cook at 350°F and check early.

One planning note: most Trader Joe’s empanadas come two to a box, which is a snack for one person and not much of an appetizer for a table. Buy accordingly.

Pro Tips

These are the details that separate a good empanada from a great one.

Cut a small vent slit in the top. One half-inch slash through the top crust before the empanada goes in gives expanding steam somewhere to go. This is the single best fix for blowouts.

Drop the temperature for cheese fillings. Cheese liquefies and finds the weakest point in the seam long before the crust has set. At 350°F the pastry firms up first. This is why my spinach and cheese empanadas are written for a lower temperature than a beef filling.

Skip aerosol cooking spray. The propellants and lecithin in canned spray build up a sticky film on nonstick and ceramic baskets that scrubbing won’t remove. A refillable pump mister with plain oil does the same job without wrecking the finish.

Add parchment after preheating, never before. A loose sheet of parchment in an empty preheating basket will lift into the heating element. Preheat first, then set the parchment down and weight it immediately with the empanadas.

Old freezer empanadas cook slower. A bag that’s been open for a month accumulates ice crystals, and that extra moisture has to boil off before browning starts. Add two or three minutes to anything that’s been in the freezer a while.

Don’t crowd, and don’t stack. Two layers means the bottom layer steams. If you’re feeding a crowd, run batches and hold the finished ones on a rack — then return everything to the basket at 300°F for 2 minutes right before serving to bring the crust back.

Serve with something acidic. Chimichurri, a squeeze of lime crema, or a sharp salsa verde cuts through the richness of the pastry better than a creamy dip does. Guacamole and sour cream work, but they double down on the fat instead of balancing it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to thaw frozen empanadas before air frying?

No — cook them straight from the freezer. Thawing is actively worse. As the pastry warms, condensation forms on the surface and the fat in the dough softens, which gives you a pale, slightly greasy crust instead of a crisp one. Frozen also means the filling and the crust finish closer together.

What internal temperature should an empanada reach?

165°F in the center of the filling. Most empanadas contain cooked fillings, so you’re reheating rather than cooking raw meat, but 165°F is the temperature at which the center is properly hot and any meat filling is safely reheated. An instant-read thermometer through the side of the empanada takes two seconds and removes all the guesswork.

Why is my empanada filling still cold in the middle?

The temperature was too high. At 400°F and above, the crust browns and looks finished while the frozen center hasn’t caught up. Drop to 375°F — or 350°F for very thick empanadas — and add three or four minutes. Lower and slower is the fix, counterintuitive as that feels.

Why did my empanada burst open?

Steam pressure built inside faster than the crust could set. Three causes, in order of likelihood: no vent slit, a poorly crimped seam, or too much filling. Cut a vent, press the crimp firmly with a fork before freezing, and start at 350°F for the first five minutes if a particular brand keeps splitting on you.

Do I flip empanadas or shake the basket?

Flip them with tongs. Shaking works for frozen mini tacos and other small, sturdy items, but empanadas have a crimped seam that cracks when they tumble against each other. One deliberate flip at the halfway point is all you need.

How do I cook Trader Joe’s empanadas in the air fryer?

It depends on the crust. Trader Joe’s cassava-crust empanadas — the Ropa Vieja and the Cheese with Cassava Crust — cook at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cassava browns faster than wheat pastry, so 375°F overcooks the outside before the center is hot. The Chicken & Chimichurri Empanadas use a traditional flaky pastry and follow the standard 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes.

Why do Trader Joe’s empanadas come out chewy instead of flaky?

Because of the cassava crust, not because you did anything wrong. Cassava dough doesn’t laminate the way a wheat pastry does, so it crisps on the surface and stays dense underneath. That’s the intended texture. Cooking them longer won’t make them flaky — it just dries them out.

Can I cook different brands or fillings together?

Yes, as long as they’re similar in size and thickness. A cocktail empanada next to a full-size one means one of them is wrong — either the small one burns or the large one comes out cold. Same-size, mixed-filling batches are fine.

How do I cook sweet or dessert empanadas?

350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Sugar in the filling and any sugar in the dough scorch quickly at 375°F, and fruit fillings are wetter, so they generate more steam and split more easily. My blueberry goat cheese empanadas use exactly this approach.

Does this work in an air fryer oven or toaster-oven model?

Yes, with adjustments. Rack-style models move less air than a basket model, so add two to three minutes and rotate the trays halfway through. If you’re using multiple racks, swap their positions when you rotate.

Can I stack empanadas to fit more in?

No. Stacking traps steam between the layers, and the empanadas underneath come out soft on top. Run a second batch instead — with a 12-minute cook time, two batches is still faster than the oven.

How do I cook frozen empanadas in the oven instead?

Preheat to 375°F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes on a parchment-lined sheet, flipping at the halfway point. It works, and it’s the better choice when you’re cooking two dozen at once. For anything under a dozen, the air fryer is faster and crisper.

Are air-fried empanadas healthier than deep-fried?

They use dramatically less oil — a light mist versus full submersion — so yes, meaningfully fewer calories from added fat. The filling and the pastry itself are unchanged, so an empanada is still an empanada. The difference is in the cooking fat, not the food.

How do I store leftover empanadas?

Cool completely to room temperature first, then transfer to an airtight container. Sealing them warm traps steam and turns the crust to cardboard overnight. They keep three to four days in the refrigerator, or three months frozen.

How do I reheat empanadas in the air fryer?

350°F for 3 to 4 minutes, no oil needed. This is the one reheating method that genuinely restores the original crust — a microwave makes them limp and an oven takes fifteen minutes to accomplish the same thing.

What to Serve With Them

Empanadas are a natural appetizer, and they hold well on a table for twenty minutes without going soft. If you’re building a spread, they sit comfortably alongside other frozen air fryer favorites like taquitos, egg rolls, or pizza rolls — all of which cook in roughly the same window, so you can run them back to back without changing the temperature much.

For a full meal, a bowl of black bean soup or a simple lime-dressed slaw is all they need.

Want to Make Them From Scratch?

Frozen empanadas are a weeknight answer, but homemade is a different thing entirely — you control the filling, the seasoning, and how thick the crust is. Start with air fryer beef empanadas for the classic version, or cheesesteak empanadas if you want something less traditional. For breakfast, my breakfast empanadas use a filling of eggs and ground turkey that freezes beautifully.

If you’re short on time and just want the shortcut, a package of refrigerated dough works — the same trick I use for bacon and cheese stuffed crescent rolls.

Batch a tray of homemade empanadas on Sunday, freeze them raw, and you have appetizers for a month. That kind of make-ahead cooking is the backbone of my weekly meal plan.